Dark Side of the Moon
by xoxoKelly
Summary: Mayu Aoki is the badass princess from the Village Hidden in the Grass, and is sent on an undercover mission to Konoha. What happens when her personal feelings interfere with her job? Kiba/OC
1. Mayu Aoki

I was suddenly aware that there aren't any really good Kiba x OC stories on and it kind of inspired me. I'm a huge Kiba fan, but this is my first fic with him.

The story is set somewhere in the future, Naruto and the gang are all approximately 18-19 years old. The story line isn't really following every detail that has happened in the Shippuden series, mainly because I'm not up to date with it. I hope that's okay with everyone, Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it, only the character's I've made up.

* * *

The Dark Side of The Moon:

Mayu Aoki

* * *

Quickly fanning myself with a piece of paper, I prayed that the sweat bullets on my forehead would start to disappear. I couldn't remember a summer as hot as this since I was a little girl. The window in my room was wide open, yet only breezes of warm, disgusting air would pass through. I looked out the window and into the large, over grown swamp, otherwise known as my backyard. I, Mayu Aoki, lived in the Village Hidden in the Grass for all my life, or at least for as long as I could remember. Normally it was a cool, refreshing place covered in beautiful naturally grown trees and other plants. But lately, it's resembled a steamy swamp and sometimes even a humid rainforest.

My family is known as royalty among the Grass Village, a village with no Kage. And it's been that way since the Village was founded by my great grandparents. Regardless of my bad attitude against my family, I was still the princess of the Grass Village, and very loyal to the people.

I laid flat out on my bed, clad in only a pair of tiny black shorts and a thin, sleeveless shirt. My long, reddish brown hair was tied up in a messy bun. I couldn't stand the feeling of my hair plastered to my burning hot body. I felt weighed down by the heat, and disgusted by my own sweat. I stopped fanning myself, and groaned with despair. The heat obviously wasn't meant for me.

Hearing a slight knock on the door, I forced my weak body off the bed.

"Miss Mayu?" I heard a familiar voice call, and looked up to see the housekeeper. She was wearing her usual plain gray clothes, and soft smile on her old face. I watched as she walked further into the rather neat bedroom from the doorway. The old woman cleared her throat, "Miss Mayu, your father would like to see you in his office."

"Arigato," I replied, resisting the strong urge to roll my eyes. I wasn't mad at the old housekeeper, she had always been a big help for my family. The person I was annoyed at was my father. Ugh. Lately, it's seemed, that I've been called into his office almost every day. Reluctantly, I stood up from the bed and left the over heated room.

The house was huge, with more than ten bedrooms, four bathrooms, two kitchens, and many secret hideouts.

Eventually, I reached a long hallway that appeared to be exceptionally dark, considering that the sun was shining brighter than ever. Mentally, I cursed my cheap father for not investing in an indoor cooling system. With the amount of money flowing in and out of his wallet, I'm sure he could have blessed me with an electrical fan, or air conditioner. Instead, I'm left to suffer through one of the worst summers- ever.

At the end of the dark hall, there was a set of double doors that led to his office. The doors were also a dark color, with gold, rounded doorknobs and an ancient language carved on the outside.

Stepping a few inches back, I watched as the doors swung open slowly on it's own. A dimmed light came pouring into the dark hallway, and I squinted my eyes to get a better look inside. Normally, I would be scared, if I didn't know what was already lying ahead.

"Mayu, come in," there was a deep, booming voice that could be heard a mile away. I knew that voice all too well, and predicted that either I was in trouble, or something really terrible must have happened. Surprisingly, I was hoping it was the latter. Obeying the commanding voice, I walked into the rather large office that belonged to my noble father.

Walking down the familiar burgundy rug, I recognized every historic painting that decorated the walls. I knew this office like the back of my hand, it was almost sickening. I knew every scratch on the floor, every crack in the wall, and even every shining detail of the tall chandelier that hung from the high ceiling.

Finally, my eyes rested on the small man sitting in a black leather chair behind a glossed desk. He was pale, bald, and had dark, cynical eyes that could rip your soul out with one glance. He was a small man though, barely reaching five feet, and didn't tolerate anyone who teased him for it.

"Hai, sir. You wanted to see me?" My palms were slightly sweaty, and my voice was shaky. Normally I would not be afraid of my own father, but today he looked like he was in a bad mood. Something had to be wrong. Something had not gone _his_ way. He was always accustomed to having everything the way he wanted.

He was quiet for moment, and laced his hands together on the dark desk, then cleared his throat, "I am extremely disappointed in you. I heard from your private instructor that you skipped all of your lessons this week. Do you care about being a ninja or not?" He looked down in disgrace, and back up, "Mayu, you are fifteen-"

"-seventeen-"

"-which is old enough to know right from wrong. When are you going to grow up? When are you going to start acting like your brother, Taro? He became a jounin at fourteen."

My hands formed fists at my side as my father mentioned _him. _My brother, Taro, was the apple of my father's eye. He had always been. He was three years older than me, and my father expected me to follow every single footstep of his. Taro was an excellent ninja, possibly even the strongest within a 100 mile radius of our small village. But couldn't my father see that we were different? That we wanted different things in life?

I gulped loudly in fear, I could tell when my father was being serious. He was really disappointed in me this time... He noticed the angered look on my face, but ignored it anyway. He never cared about my feelings before. He sighed deeply and covered his face with his large pale hand."Since you don't follow any rules I set forth here, I've decided to send you on a mission."

"But!"

"You will do as I say!" He stood up in his chair, and slammed his fist down on the desk. His voice had gotten louder and I took a step back in fright. I stood quiet as he continued, "You are to temporarily move to the village of Konoha for a while. Make friends with a certain clan, named the Inuzuka's. They are currently in possession of an old family heirloom called the Silver Fang. I need you to capture it and bring it back."

"What's the Silver Fang?" I asked curiously, my eyebrows ruffled to the center of my forehead as I watched my father's face. The Silver Fang was obviously an object that I had never heard of before- and I wondered why it was so _important_ to my father. He would probably just sell it for cash to pay off a debt anyway.

But he chuckled and looked down for a moment, then looked back up with hungry eyes, "It's a very powerful, indestructible weapon." My eyes widened and I nodded quickly. I should have known it was something like that... My father had always been into the whole greedy-for-power kind of thing.

I ruffled my eyebrows once more, "Why not ask one of your _very_ skilled Jounin? Why me?" If I knew my father as well as I thought I did, I knew he always had some kind of catch to everything. He did everything for a _reason_. If that was the case, it made more sense to send an experienced Jounin out on the mission instead of a slacking Chuunin like me.

"The Silver Fang is said to be heavily guarded by many unknown jutsus. It's also, supposedly, very important and sentimental to the Inuzuka family. I don't want you to _steal _it, I want them to trust you with it. I want them to think you're they're friend." His eyes got darker, and his smirk grew wider. He was joking, right?

It was my turn to chuckle, "Yeah, like that'll happen." There's no way that this "Inuzuka" family is just going to hand over their most prized possession to a seventeen year old princess from the Grass Village with a greedy, power hogging father. I just couldn't see it happening. I continued to chuckle but noticed that my father's facial expression did not change. He was serious. He was really serious about this. But then again, when was he not?

"Mayu, I expect you to complete this mission in no more than a month. And please, no fooling around. If you fail to return home by the deadline, I'll be forced to send in reinforcements, understand?"

"Hai, sir."

* * *

With a slightly heavy bag swung over my shoulder, I looked around my bedroom one last time. I had gone on many missions before- but only for a couple days. I had never been away from home for more than a week. How was I going to last a whole month? I noticed a picture frame on top of my bed side table, and went over to grab it.

It was an old, black and white photo of my beautiful mother. The one and only picture I had of her. I stared at it, and gripped the frame tightly in my hands, resisting the urge to let tears fall from my golden brown eyes. According to the picture, she had the same long hair as me, and facial features. She was also tall, and beautiful, something that my father could never be. I smiled down at the picture, letting a small teardrop fall from the corner of my eye. I wish I knew her, I wanted to know her so bad.

"Saying your goodbyes?"

I froze in my spot as I heard the familiar, sneering voice behind me. It was Taro, I knew it was. Regretfully, I turned around to see him leaning against the door frame, lazily. His hair was a sharp, purplish gray color that reached just above his pale neck. But his eyes, his eyes were the same dark, eerie color as my fathers. I guess that's where you can see the stunning resemblance between them.

Taro and I were different in so many ways; through both physical appearance and personality. I had bright, golden brown eyes, but on the other hand, Taro had dark, black, cynical eyes that matched our fathers. I had long, reddish brown hair, where Taro had short grayish purple hair. My father used to have the same hair as Taro, before he turned bald from the stress. My personality was a little laid back and humorous, where as Taro liked to perform dangerous and cruel missions everyday to show of his "amazing" strength and devotion to our father.

Looking back at my older brother, I cleared my throat, "What do you want, Taro?" I squinted my eyes at him, and stepped a little closer. I wasn't scared of him, I never was. No matter how strong he claimed to be, I knew I always had the will power to stand up to him.

He chuckled and folded his arms over his chest, "Just wanted to give you some brotherly advice: _Don't mess up this mission_," His face turned serious, and his voice grew deeper, "Try not to be 'Daddy's little screw up' okay? The Silver Fang is a very important item. I offered to get it myself, but for some reason, Father wants _you_ to do it."

I couldn't understand why he would say that. "_Father wants you to do it..._" A part of me believed that Taro was just trying to get to me. Saying things that would confuse me, or make me feel weak. But I wouldn't fall for it- no I was stronger than that.

Walking closer, I pushed him out of the doorway, while still clenching onto the photo of my mother. I stopped a few feet away from the door and looked over my shoulder, "First of all, I'm not a screw up. Second of all, I'll finish this mission before the month's up, believe it."


	2. Acquaintances

The Dark Side of the Moon:

Acquaintances

* * *

It was nighttime when I reached the tall gates leading to the Hidden Leaf Village. I noticed that the gates were guarded by two Jounin ninjas, judging by their appearance and uniform. From the rumors I heard, Jounin ninja from Konoha are supposed to be really tough. I held in my shaky breath and walked closer to where they stood.

"Hello, Miss," The first one spoke, "How can we help you?" He wore a friendly expression on his face, and looked to be just a few years older than me. His eyes formed arches as he smiled, and scratched the back of his head playfully. But on the other hand, the man standing next to him straightened his posture and didn't let his guard down for a second.

I smiled at both of them, "Hello, my name is Mayu... Mayu N-Natsumi," I lied, thinking quickly of an alias. I was sure that my father wouldn't want me to expose my true identity to these people. It was supposed to be a quick mission. In and out of the city within the month. My eyes wandered around nervously, I continued, "Yes, my name is Mayu Natsumi and I've decided to move here, to Konoha..."

The second guard crossed his arms over his chest, "Aren't you a little too young to be moving somewhere on your own?" His voice was rough and cracked. I could tell he was old, but probably really strong. But after all, he did have the responsibility of guarding the village.

I felt my palms getting a little sweaty, but continued with the phony explanation, "Well you see... I don't have any family, and I've been traveling through villages with no home. I've been on my own since I was thirteen, and I think that Konoha will be a permanent home for me." I made my voice sound a little shaky, and added a few pouts.

The first guard smiled, and patted me on the back in an apologetic way, but the second guard kept his straight gaze and didn't change expressions. He kept his arms crossed over his chest, "What makes you think we'll believe you? Konoha has been through a lot of problems involving trespassers and rouge ninja. How am I so sure that you are who you say you are? It's my job to protect the people of my village by standing at this gate."

I gulped loudly, I had no idea that Konoha ninja were _this_ smart, skilled and talented. The guard sounded as if he would sacrifice himself for the village. You don't hear that kind of talk where I'm from. People fight to kill, they don't sacrifice themselves for the sake of their home. What did I get myself into? I had no idea what I could possibly say to get myself into the village now. And there was no way I could go back home now, Taro would just laugh at me. I'll really be "Daddy's little screw up".

"Well-"

"Is there a problem here?"

I turned around at the sound of a voice and footsteps behind me. Coming out of the shadows was a tall man with spiked gray hair and a mask that covered most of face. He had one visible eye that appeared lazy as he walked closer to where the two guards and I stood.

"K-Kakashi-sama," The two guards blurted in unison, now cowering at the ninja who just joined us. Their eyes were wide, and they stood up straighter, if it were even possible. They acted as if a king was passing through.

The gray haired guy looked at me from head to toe, "Is there a problem, miss?"

I shook my head, wondering why the two guards were acting weird around him. Was he that much of a big deal? "Um, actually I was trying to get into the village, and he wouldn't let me," I explained, pointing at the second guard, who was now shaking his head cowardly.

"Well, I'm on my way to report the status of my mission. I'll be more than glad to escort you to the Hokage's office. You can discuss your matters with her," he offered, then faced the two guards, "That won't be a problem, right?"

The two guards shook their heads and pulled the gates opened quickly, gesturing for them to pass through. I smiled at myself, while following behind the gray haired ninja. Well, that was easy.

The sky was dark and the moon was out, gleaming over the beautiful city. Growing up in the Grass Village, I never encountered such a diverse place such as this. There were no people out, due to the lateness, but I studied the many shops and building signs that surrounded the cobble stoned street.

The older ninja walked a few feet away from me, with his hands deep in his pockets. I watched him from behind, wondering why the two guards were so afraid of him. Was he from a wealthy family like me? Or was he a powerful ninja, someone you'd fear? For some reason, he looked familiar, but I couldn't really remember why.

I walked faster, until I met up with his lazy stride, and looked sideways at him, "Arigato, mister, for getting me out of that situation."

He looked at me from the side also, and I watched his one visible eye curve as he smiled. "My name's Hatake Kakashi, but you can call me Kakashi. And it was nothing, the guards just take their job a little too seriously sometimes. I'm sure you'll get everything straightened out when you see the Hokage."

I nodded and noticed that he stopped walking. I looked up at the huge building that we stood in front of. It was a weird shape, and had a sign on the top that read the word "fire". I knew this must have been the Hokage's building, it was at the center of the village, so it seemed.

I followed him inside, and after climbing a few flight of stairs, he lead me to an office door. I couldn't help but notice how unafraid I felt standing outside of the Hokage's door. It was a completely different feeling from when I'm about to face my father. And I liked it. I liked the feeling of not being scared.

Before I knew it, Kakashi was already knocking on the door and entered when he heard the voice of a woman. I gulped, not really expecting the sound of a woman. Nonetheless, he held the door open for me, like any gentlemen would, as I walked in before him.

The Hokage was sitting behind her messy desk that was decorated in stacks of paper. She was pale, with two long blond pony tails that reached down her shoulders. When I first pictured the Hokage in my head, I figured it would be some wrinkled old man sitting behind a cluttered desk. But instead, I was met with a beautiful woman with gleaming eyes and a soft smile on her face.

"Tsunade-sama, I've come to confirm the completion and success of my mission. But I'm also here to escort this young lady to you," Kakashi explained, "I found her at the gates, apparently the guards were giving her some trouble."

The lady named Tsunade nodded her head, "I see, very well. Thank you Kakashi for completing the mission _on time_. See me in two days for another one," she added, and I watched as Kakashi bowed before leaving the room quietly. The lady then turned to me, as I stood silently in the center of the room, "Now, you. Tell me about yourself and please explain why you're here."

I gulped then nodded, "My name is Mayu Natsumi, and for the past few years I have traveled through different villages," my voice was starting to feel shaky, "I have been on my own since I was thirteen, I have no family or friends. I heard about Konoha, and how wonderful it is, so I decided that I wanted to move here. For good," I lied. My palms were feeling a little sweaty, but it was starting to get easier to lie. I kept replaying the same alias name and background information in my head over and over again.

The Hokage nodded slowly, "I see... and you need a place to stay, I presume?" I nodded hastily, wondering how such a smart lady could be fooled by my bogus story. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if she was thinking really hard about something. When she opened them again, she gleamed a softer glance at me, "There is an apartment, it's not much. Just a room, small kitchen and a bathroom. But it's the most I can offer for now."

"Really? That's great," I exclaimed, "Thank you, very much."

Tsunade held her hand up, "Wait, that's not all. You'll have to pay your rent somehow, so I have a job for you. My assistant, Shizune, is currently very sick and is being hospitalized from a dangerous mission. How would you like to take her place until she gets back?"

My mind froze in shock. The Hokage was asking me to be her temporary assistant? A stranger that she just met five minutes ago? Being her assistant would allow me to be involved with all the secret business of the village. I'll be right at the source. Father would be so proud...

"Hokage-sama, I would be honored to take this temporary job."

* * *

It was still dark out when I woke up the next morning in my new small apartment. The bedroom was connected to the kitchen, and had a door that lead to a small bathroom. It was nothing, but I liked it. After growing up in a secluded mansion with housekeepers at every corner, I needed something like this. Something to show me what the real world was all about.

The kitchen was small, with a tall white fridge and matching stove, along with a few cabinets. They were empty, but that was okay. I wasn't expecting free food anyway. The bedroom and kitchen was divided by a curtained archway for privacy. The bedroom part of the apartment was also small, with just a normal sized bed and a convenient closet.

I left the apartment before sunrise, not wanting to be late for my first day at work. I could see from a distance that the sun was starting to rise, and I was ready for the start of a new day. A new day where I can be a new person in a new place. I tried my best to not feel so happy, because I knew that before the end of the month, I would be leaving.

The streets were starting to fill in with little kids, older people, and all the ages in between. I stopped by a small bakery for breakfast, since it was on the way to the Hokage's building anyway.

I walked in and was greeted by the scent of fresh baking bread. I had enough money in my wallet for a quick breakfast, and was wondering what I would do for dinner. I rapidly bought my food, and thanked the old lady behind the counter. Even though I knew I was a couple hours too early, I still wanted to make a good impression on Tsunade-sama.

I continued my journey to the building, loving all the scenery and attractions the village had to offer. Even though I walked through the same path last night, everything looked better in the sunlight. I noticed the many colors of the buildings, the tall trees and falling leaves...

When I reached my destination, I had to keep reminding myself: I wasn't here to stay. Getting this job was just a bonus in my mission, and soon it would be time to start the real task. But everything that has happened in the last sixteen hours made me completely forget why I was here in the first place. What was the name of that clan I was supposed to befriend? The Inofukas? And what was I supposed to find? The Golden Tooth? I smacked my forehead and mentally cursed myself for forgetting the details.

"Um, are you okay?"

I opened my eyes and lowered my hand from my forehead to see a man, a few years older than I, standing a couple of inches away. He had dark brown hair in a spikey ponytail, a Konoha headband tied to his forehead, and a long scar above his nose.

"U-Um, yeah," I smiled, feeling stupid for actually smacking my own forehead, "I was just going in," I added, pointing toward the entrance of the Hokage's building. I gulped loudly, and felt a bright red blush creep up to my cheeks. GGGGreat, my first day in a new place and I already made a fool of myself...

"Oh, well you must be new, right?" He asked, smiling, "I've never seen you around here before. My name's Iruka, it's nice to meet you." He held his hand out, and I took it politely. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, and kept a smile on my pale face. This village was so big, how could people tell that I'm new? And how many people am I going to have to tell my sad story to? After all there was no need to be rude, the job might get easier if I made friends anyway.

"Hi, I'm Mayu Natsumi, and you're right, I just moved here. I'm temporarily filling in the position as the Hokage's assistant," I could feel the blush on my cheeks slowly fade away. I kept the smile on my face, and tried to ignore the sound of my stomach grumbling angrily and the smell of the warm bread in the bag by my side.

His two eyes formed arches as he smiled widely, "Ooh, you're Mayu? The Hokage informed everyone that you were working here temporarily since Shizune is in the hospital."

My heart skipped a beat, and the smiled faded off my face, "Everyone..?" I thought that taking this job would keep me on the _down low._ I couldn't risk the status of the mission by drawing too much attention to myself. I had to remember that I was leaving in a few weeks.

"Well," he explained, "She let all the Jounin and Chuunin know about it, for safety purposes. Now that you're working in the Hokage's building, you have an important job. I'm a actually a Chuunin teacher for the junior academy, I've been teaching for quite a few years now."

My eyes widened a little. I wasn't relieved to know that the Jounin and Chuunin now knew about me. What if one of them recognized who I really was? I'm sure a couple of them heard about me or my family before, or seen photos or something... A princess from the Grass Village with a tycoon father. That would get me kicked out of the village for sure. It may even get me killed... I shook all the negative thoughts out of my head, and turned back to the man in front of me.

"I guess we should go in before we're both late for work," Iruka added, and held the door open for me. I walked in politely, and flashed a smile at him. He smiled also and turned to another hallway, probably towards the classrooms. He waved, "Hope to see you again, Mayu!"

I thanked him, said goodbye, and went in the same direction that Kakashi took me last night. Luckily I didn't get lost in the huge building, and found myself staring at the same door as yesterday.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door sharply and was greeted by a "Come in." I was alleviated to see the beautiful Hokage sitting behind her cluttered brown desk. Her hair was in the same style as yesterday and so were her clothes. The only difference was the dark circles under her eyes. She did not look like a morning person. At all.

"Good morning, Hokage-sama," I bowed down a little, then stood straight in the center of her office. I watched as she sipped from a steamy cup of tea at the corner of her desk.

She then cleared her throat and spoke aloud, "Good Morning, Mayu. Unfortunately, I have a long meeting this morning, which means you'll be on your own for a couple hours. There's nothing to worry about, though, I'll just instruct you on what you'll be doing today," She gestured toward a smaller desk and chair that was at the side of the room, "This will be your new desk, where you will handle the paper work for today. While I'm out, Jounins, Chuunins, and Genins will be coming in to report the status of their mission, and you are to write it down in the logbook. Simple enough, right?"

I nodded, "Yes, Hokage-sama," I walked over to the desk, and noticed that the log book was resting on it. It was already opened to a page that was marked for today's date.

"Another thing," She added, "Here are some documents that I already have separated by names," She pulled out a small pile of folders that contained documented information, "Each folder comprises of a new mission and on the front it states the persons name. So when that person comes in for their new mission, you'll hand them their designated folder. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Great, now I'll be off to my meeting," She stood up from her desk, and walked around to the door, "I'll be back in a couple hours to see how you're doing, but I'm sure you'll be fine," She opened the door widely, "But just in case you need help, I'm sure someone down the hall could assist you."

I thanked her once more and watched as she left the office. I sat behind the new desk comfortably, and read through some of the pages of the logbook. I knew it must have been confidential, and illegal for me to read it, but what else was there to do? As I flipped through the book, I recognized the names of Kakashi and Iruka and the many missions that they performed for their village. Almost all of them were a success.

Then I remembered that _I_ was currently on a mission. I groaned out loud, wondering how I was going to complete this task. I had to find a clan of ninja that I knew nothing about, and seize an object that I never heard of before. Suddenly, I thought about my father, and wondered what he must be doing right now. Probably swindling some client and confiscating their money...

"Uh, where's the Hokage?"

My head flew up as I noticed a young man walk through the doorway. He was tall, with brown spiked hair, a Konoha headband tied on his forehead, and red stripe marks on his cheeks. Behind him was a huge, full sized beige dog that had his tongue hanging out in exaggeration.

"C-Can I help you?" I noticed that he was wearing all black, and his fitted jacket showed muscles that covered his arms, shoulders and abs...

His slightly tanned face was ruffled in confusion, when he opened his mouth, I noticed all of his teeth were sharp and pointy. "Yeah, I'm looking for the Hokage, or for Shizune," he explained, then pointed at me, and added rudely, "Who are you?"

I squinted my eyes at him, "The Hokage is at a meeting, and Shizune is in the hospital. I'm her replacement, didn't you get the memo?" I stated sarcastically. If what Iruka said was true, then all the Jounins and Chuunins knew that I would be taking Shizune's place.

"Actually, I _didn't_ get the memo," He replied, walking closer to the desk, "Akamaru and I just got back from a three day mission. So I guess I wouldn't know." He crossed his arms over his chest, and the dog behind him barked loudly.

"Akamaru?"

The young man nodded, "Yeah, he's Akamaru," he patted the large dog on the top of his head and scratched behind his ear. "I came to report that the mission was a success." He grinned cockily and I rolled my eyes in annoyance. I hoped all the men in the village weren't like him. That would suck.

I flipped through the pages of the log book and grabbed a pen, "What's your name, and where are you coming from?" My voice was a little irritated, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at him again.

"My name's Inuzuka Kiba, and I-"

"Wait, what's your name?" I looked up frantically at him and almost yelled. His name... could it be? Could it be the same name of the clan I was supposed to find?

"Inuzuka... Kiba."

Yep. That was definitely it.


	3. Ghost of the Past

The Dark Side of The Moon:  
The Ghost of the Past

A cool summer breeze flew through the apple filled trees as leaves swirled around the brick-tiled ground playfully. There was just something about Konoha that made it so beautiful in the afternoon. Was it the leaves that fell naturally from the many trees? Or perhaps the children that ran through the streets with smiles glowing on their youthful faces? Or maybe it was the young teenagers that helped the old ladies cross the street and hold their grocery bags... What ever it was, it intrigued me deeply. The Village Hidden in the Grass, my home, was nothing compared to _this_.

As I walked down a busy road, I couldn't help but keep a grin on my face. My life had changed so much in four days, and it was all thanks to this marvelous city. The nature around me has suddenly given me this extra boost of enthusiasm and integrity. I felt this new power, this new strength that I never knew I had before. And I loved it.

Today was also my fourth day working for the Hokage, considering that Shizune was still in the hospital. And with the amount of work Tsunade-sama smothered me with, I still enjoyed every single second of it. The feeling of meeting new jounin, chuunin and genin was amazing. It felt like I was actually worth something in this awesome town. For the first time, I felt like I belonged somewhere.

In other matters, my apartment was looking a lot more lively than the first night. Investing in working lamps and decorative plants seemed to pay off. Also, with my mother's picture resting on my bedside table and furniture in the rooms- it was starting to look like home. Or at least what home _should_ look like. And I liked that- a lot. I liked the feeling of having a place I could call my own. A place that reflects my personality and the kind of person I am. It's a right sight better than the dark halls and corridors my father preferred back home.

And even though everything felt perfect- it was wrong. It was all so wrong. As much as I was starting to love my little life here in Konoha, I knew it was the wrong thing. I was going to get attached- something that I should have been avoiding since I got here. What I should be focusing on, is the mission- a thought that hadn't entered my head in a couple days.

Shaking out the negative contents from my mind, I convinced myself that I was on my own personal _vacation_. And that sounded a lot better than admitting to myself that I was slacking off.

"Hey, Mayu!"

I turned around swiftly at the sound of my name being called. My reddish brown hair glistened in the sunlight, radiating off my pale skin. Smiling, I spotted a recently familiar face in the crowd, and waved. It was the young man with the spiked pony tail and long scar over his nose. He was smiling also, and walked over to where I stood.

"Hey Iruka," I greeted, "What'chu up to?"

He lifted up a pile of colorful papers in his hands, "I was just hanging up these posters around the city. In a few days there's going to be the annual Hokage Festival," he must have noticed the confused look on my face, and elaborated, "It's a day when we honor the past and present Hokages by setting up a carnival with games, food, and entertainment. You should definitely come, it's always a great experience for new-comers," He handed me one of the papers from the pile.

"Thanks, and of course I'll be there," I grinned, accepting the colorful poster from his hand.

His smile was becoming permanent on him and slightly contagious, "Well, I should be getting back to work now, I'll see you around!" and with that, he waved good-bye and continued hanging the posters around the town.

* * *

Third Person POV

Gray hair molded upwards, navy blue mask covering his face, and a hitai-ate covering one of his eyes, the famous Hatake Kakashi jumped from roof top to roof top until he stopped on a familiar one. He lost count of how many times he had stood on this balcony, waiting to hear the same greeting he always did. Whether it was Sandaime, Yodaime, or Godaime, it's always been almost identical.

"Come in, Kakashi," his ears perked up at the sound of the familiar, womanly voice of the fifth Hokage. He walked in through the tall window from the balcony, with a serious expression hidden under his signature mask. "Is there something wrong?" Tsunade inquired, without even peering over her paper-filled desk. She wore her usual green sweater over her customary gray shirt and navy blue waist belt. As always, her long blonde hair was tied into two sections, giving her a more girlish look that contradicted her huge, womanly breast.

"I have a question," he spoke lowly, "About the new girl."

This time, the Hokage raised her head up just a little, and her eyebrow quirked with interest, "I thought you might. You recognized her, didn't you?" She snickered a little, and dropped her writing brush on the table, not really caring that ink droplets trailed over the paper, "I was wondering when you were going to ask about her."

Kakashi tilted his head to the side, "I didn't notice who she really was at first, that night I brought her here. But the morning after, I was going through an old bingo book and noticed Aoki Akane's picture. I remembered her as a kunoichi that ranaway from Konoha almost twenty two years ago. She was marked as a missing nin, and was posted in all the bingo books because she was said to have stolen federal documents from Sandaime's files. Apparently she was a spy for the Grass Village, and was involved with their ruler. She had two kids, and her own husband was rumored for murdering her."

Tsuande stood quiet, closed her eyes, and reflected on everything the jounin had been saying. She knew all of it. The whole story, like the back of her hand. And she recognized Mayu almost immediately. How could she not? The young kunoichi resembled her mother so strongly, she was almost an exact spitting image of her. With the long, reddish brown hair, to the pale skin and radiating glow...

"She's Akane's daughter, isn't she?" The copy ninja justified.

Tsunade didn't answer his question directly, instead she opened her eyes slowly, and smiled, "Before Aoki Akane married that horrible oaf, her name was Chicharu Akane, and she was one of my students," she noticed Kakashi's visible eye widen in shock, and continued, "She was the only kunoichi in the genin team I was in charge of. And because of that, I loved her like a little sister. I taught her everything I knew: medical jutsu, how to control her strength, and how to summon Katsuyu... I guess you could say that she was a lot like Sakura."

Kakashi stood still, and kept his eyes on the woman in front of him, not really expecting to hear a story like this.

She continued, "I came home from a mission one day, to find out that she left. There was a rumor going around that she stole secret documents from Sarutobi-sensei's office, but a part of me couldn't believe it. She was a good person... she had a big heart, and loved the village so much. I stood up so many nights wondering why she would leave. She had everything here..." Tsunade paused for a moment, and cleared her throat, "But years passed, and news traveled that she was killed by her own husband- the ruler of the Grass Village. Of course he had enough money and credentials to make all the accusations go away..."

"What do you think this has to do with Mayu?" The tall jounin asked, placing both hands into his pockets lazily.

The medical-nin folded her fingers together over her desk, "When Mayu showed up her, and I recognized her almost immediately, many different thoughts went through my mind. The first one being that she was a spy also, sent from the Grass Village . So I gave her a job, a specific job, on purpose. I let her take Shizune's spot for a while, so that she was exposed to all sorts of secret documents and scrolls all day. I wanted to see if that's what she was after. But, evidently, it's been almost a week, and she's still here. Either she still hasn't found anything she's looking for, or she has her own intentions for being here. And hopefully, those intentions are good ones. Because this village doesn't deserve anymore back-stabbing, two-timing bastards," she ended angrily, thinking solely about Danzo.

Kakashi looked a little taken back, and scratched the top of his hair nervously, "So what if Mayu really does take something? What then?"

"I have had hidden cameras installed in my office," Tsunade gestured toward a painting on the wall behind her, and an old flower plant in the far right corner, "So far, it looks like she hasn't snooped through anything... but I can't guarantee that she won't in the future. And if she does take something, so what? We are in a state of peace, what does our village have to hide? We are in an alliance with most of the other villages, and everything has been so great for the past few years. It would take more than just a teenage princess to get me worried."

The sharingan user ruffled his eyes together, "I still feel like we should be extra careful around her, don't you think?"

She shrugged, "When she starts showing signs of suspicious-ness, then I'll start to get worried. But as for now, I'm just going to have to trust my gut on this. I've already locked some of the former Hokage's forbidden and hidden jutsus, so there's nothing to worry about with that. All she has access to is the missions that have been assigned for this past month. What can she do with that?"

Kakashi didn't say anything, but just nodded.

"I appreciate your concern for the village's safety, and I thank you for coming here and discussing this matter with me. But it's getting late and I'm sure that Ayame is home waiting to pester you for some kind of odd dish she is craving this week," Tsunade smiled up at the ninja in front of her.

The gray haired jounin blushed slightly under his mask, thinking about his pregnant wife who was indeed waiting for him at home. With one last nod, he crawled back out onto the balcony, wanting nothing more to get home to the love of his life.

"Tell Ayame I said 'Hi'," The fifth Hokage yelled out before he jumped to the roof next door.

* * *

First Person POV

My feet dangled dangerously off the cliff of the highest green-grassed hill. The bright lights of the city twinkled in the moonlight, and I loved the full view of Konoha. Tall buildings glowered over me, threateningly, and the small houses looked cute in the dark. From my seat, I noticed how neatly lined up all the houses and little stores were.

I chewed on a red apple hungrily, still only surviving off of the couple dollars left in my empty pocket. I sighed heavily as my stomach grumbled back at me angrily. Trying not to think about it, I knew that back at home my father and Taro were enjoying a nice, warm, home cooked, five course meal. Fighting back tears, I knew I had to be strong. I wasn't the spoiled princess from the Grass Village anymore. I was a strong, independent woman now. I had to be.

"Akamaru! Akamaru,wait for me!"

I heard a familiar voice behind me, and turned my head sharply at the sound. As soon I turned, my light brown eyes caught sight of a giant beast ready to attack me. Before I realized what was happening, my upper body was tackled down onto the soft grass, and the apple rolled out of my hand due to the pressure.

"Akamaru, what are you doing?"

As I tried to push myself of with the palms of my elbows, I felt a large, wet tongue swipe over my face- disgustingly. "Ew, ew, ew! Geddit off of me!" I yelled at the top of my lungs in utter revolt as well as fright. By the time I managed to get the animal off of me, I was wiping drool off my face, neck and somehow my shoulders.

Hearing footsteps running from behind me, I stood up from the floor, my face as red as a tomato. Recognizing the huge dog, I turned around to face the familiar ninja that came along with him. Inuzuka Kiba.

"Oh it's you," he spoke in a monotone. His brown hair was just as spiky as the first day I saw him, and his trademark red stripes still traveled down his cheeks. His eyes were dark, his teeth were sharp, and he smirked annoyingly at me. I had never seen him after what happened in the Hokage's office, the first day I met him. That day I realized he was a part of the clan I was looking for... but I was rude to him at first, and now he despised me. And I didn't fancy him too much either.

I placed my hands on my hips defensively, "Yeah, it's _me_, and your _dog _ just attacked me!" I grunted and narrowed my eyes at the giant beige hound, "I thought puppies were supposed to be friendly." Since there weren't much pets back home, I never got to experience the love and relationship between an owner and animal.

Kiba frowned, "Akamaru is friendly. That was his way of saying he likes you. He never really does that to anyone else," he admitted, and ruffled the dog's ears. He whimpered happily at the touch, and snuggled his nose into his master's hand.

I decided to ignore Kiba's remark, and instead lowered my eyes onto the grass. I caught a slight glimpse of a rounded, red object laying on the ground, tumbled in the grass, "Hey," I pointed at it suddenly, "You're darn dog ruined my dinner!"

The ninja looked sideways at where I gestured, and his eyes ruffled in confusion, "That's your dinner?" he asked, in a rather worried tone, he eyed the half bitten apple suspiciously, "You're kidding right?"

I huffed and glared at him, offended, "You know... not all of us can afford a five course meal," my voice sounded meanspirited, and I regretted saying it instantly. Although I was secretly a princess from another village, I didn't have any money of my own over here, most of it went toward new furniture and the apartment. And the last thing I wanted to do was make Kiba feel awkward and weird.

"Look," he started, and lowered his voice a little, "I'm sorry if I offended you, I didn't mean to," Akamaru barked affectionately, agreeing with his master, "If you want, you're welcome to come to my house for dinner tonight. My mom always cooks enough for an army anyway, I'm sure she won't mind."

My body relaxed, and I stared at the young man curiously, "I can't..." I regretted, and placed a hand over my stomach before it growled angrily and loudly.

He laughed loudly, showing his fangs clearly, "Well I'm afraid your stomach thinks other wise," he tilted his head to the side, "I won't take no for an answer. Dinner should be ready in about a half and hour, and I told you, my mom wouldn't mind. She loves when I bring friends over."

"Friends?" I asked, quirking my eyebrow upward.

He smiled, a single fang overlapping his bottom lip, "You know what I mean..."

I smiled back at him, allowing him to lead me to his house.

* * *

[A/N]: I hope no one minds that I switch between POV's during the different scenes. If you guys find it too confusing or just not good, let me know, and I'll do something about it.

And yes Kakashi is married to the same character from my Collision story. If your a Kakashi fan (or if you just like to read random Naruto fanfics), you need to read that story _now!_

I hope you enjoyed, and stay tuned for the the next chapter!


	4. Growing Feelings

Hope everyone's enjoying the story xoxo, Kelly.

* * *

The Dark Side of The Moon:

Growing Feelings

* * *

- 11:30 pm -

The nighttime moon shone brightly as Mayu laid face up on her new, soft mattress in her very own Konoha apartment. It seemed small at first, the room she decided to rent, since it was a connecting kitchen/living room/bedroom with doors only leading to the bathroom, closet and outside hallway. But the teenage ninja was starting to grow very fond of the four-walled, private area. It something that she never had, something that belonged all to herself. So what if you can see the bed from the kitchen? It was her place, and she loved it.

A smile took over her small face as she folded her arms behind her head, watching the stars from out the window. It was a dark, cool night, and the Grass princess wouldn't want it any other way.

Her heart was still thumping loudly from events that happened earlier in the night. She felt like a little school girl, a little smiley faced school girl with a crush on another little boy. She couldn't remember feeling like this about anyone back home, or about anything at all. Not only had her father raised her to be strong and emotionless, but he also never allowed her to befriend anyone in the town. Let alone have a _relationship_. She wanted to start believing that maybe love was real, maybe she could flick this switch inside of her to start feeling love. And a part of her wished it was that easy...

She turned in her bed, pulling the blanket with her, trying to cover her own grin.

Why did her stomach feel queasy? Is this what people meant when they said they had butterflies? She never knew such a thing was real. Mayu wasn't used to this feeling at all, and as her cheeks turned pink, she knew she didn't want the feeling to go away.

As she closed her eyes memories began to plague her mind...

* * *

_- Earlier that night 7:30 pm -  
_

_They had been walking for a couple minutes, in complete silence, with the exception of Akamaru's heavy steps against the dirt floor. As Mayu walked side by side with Kiba, she realized that this is the second time they've seen each other since they met, and she barely knew anything about him or his life. Well, she did know that he was a ninja, and that she would have to steal a special artifact from his family, but she didn't really know _him.

"_So..." she started, "How long have you and Akamaru been together?" It was the first question that came to her mind, and she just wanted to make conversation to end the awkward silence._

_Kiba looked sideways at her because of her words that broke the silence, and then smiled, thinking of the past, "Well I was about eight years old when my mom kind of forced me to take care of Akamaru. I had no idea what I was doing at first... and I was actually upset with my mother for leaving him under my care. But eventually me and Akamaru became great friends. Isn't that right, Akamaru?" The Inuzuka smiled and ruffled the top of his companion's head as he barked enthusiastically._

_The Princess smiled, "I wish I had a friend like that. Where I came from... I didn't have many friends."_

_Kiba's smile faded, "Really? Why not?" He figured someone as pretty as her, and as feisty as her would have friends from everywhere. _

_She looked down, like if she was remembering a bad time, "My father... he never let me have any friends. He was very controlling, when I was growing up. My mother died when I was very young, and my brother was always a jerk to me. The closest thing I ever had to a friend was the housekeeper." She lied a lot about her identity when she moved to Konoha, but the fact that she never had a friend wasn't a lie at all._

_The smile did not return to the Inuzuka's marked face, "I'm very sorry to hear that. I know how it feels, to lose loved ones. As a ninja, I see people dying all the time, whether it's because of missions or because of natural causes," He looked ahead at the dark, empty street, "It's sad that you've never had a real friend. Maybe I'll introduce you to Hinata, or Ino, maybe even Sakura. They're all good friends of mine," The corner of his lips curved, showing his fangs, "Hinata is a little shy, Ino is a little crazy… and Sakura… well I think you'd get along with Sakura."_

_Mayu tilted her head to the side, and smiled at him._

* * *

- 11:36 pm -_  
_

Opening her eyes, the Grass kunoichi smiled to herself, still snuggled in bed. She hadn't fallen asleep yet, she was enjoying her daydreams way too much. On the walk to Kiba's house, she confided in him... told him things that she never told anyone else.

Why?

She had only met him once before, he was a complete stranger.

Then why did she feel like she could trust him so much?

At that point in the night, Mayu knew that Kiba was different than any other guy she met (not that she met many decent guys in her day). But how could he be so silly one minute, and so serious the next? How was he able to balance his over-zealous personality with his sensitive side? She could tell that he was caring, and from the tone in his voice, she could tell he was gentle but firm.

She tossed in her bed again, this time facing the ceiling. Her chest heaved up and down heavily, the impact of her heartbeat still thumping loudly in her chest. Her mind drifted back to moments with him, moments with Kiba.

* * *

_- Earlier that night 9:00 pm -_

"_Dinner was delicious, Tsume-san, thank you very much," Mayu swallowed the last piece of steak that was on her plate. It was little raw on the inside, apparently the way they liked it, but overall very tasty, "Do you need help with the dishes?" She inquired, standing up from her seat, with her plate in hand._

_She had grown up in a rich environment, with a housekeeper to look after her, but Mayu was still polite and knew her manners._

"_Oh dear, don't you dare do the dishes, you are a guest and you are welcomed here anytime... It's so nice to know that Kiba finally has a girlfriend. I told him years ago, that maybe if he tried being a little nicer to girls, they'll start paying him more attention," Tsume gushed as she carried all the plates to the sink. _

_His mother was a tough looking woman with a kind heart._

_Mayu blushed, and Kiba growled, "Mom, she's not my girlfriend; I just invited her over for dinner. It's not a big deal." The two fang marks on his face was surrounded by a warm pink blush._

* * *

- 11:42 pm -

The girl chuckled to herself.

She loved the way Kiba's mom teased him about girls. Mayu wondered if her mother was still alive, would she tease her about boys the same way Tsume did to Kiba? The smile on her face faded as a black and white image of her mother floated through her mind. The image was an exact replica of the only photo she had of her mom.

If she was still alive today, would she be proud of what Mayu had become? Or would she be disappointed in her only daughter for following her father's orders? It's not that Mayu _wanted _to follow her father's orders… it's more like she didn't have a choice. And after what her brother said, she wanted to prove that she could complete the mission and that she wasn't a screw up! But really… the only positive reasoning was that she would be away from her father and brother for a couple weeks.

Rolling over in her bed again, the young princess sighed, hoping to get some sleep tonight.

* * *

**[A/N]: Okay, so the chapter was kind of short, but it explained Mayu's growing feelings for Kiba. She never really had a crush before so these are all new feelings to her and she's just exploring the possibility that she might have feelings for this guy.**

**Stay tuned for the next chapter :]**


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